


No other shade of blue but you

by Kimmy



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Agender Nebula, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Intersex Jotunn (Marvel), Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jotunn Nebula, Jotunn | Frost Giant, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28459623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/pseuds/Kimmy
Summary: Loki and Nebula have much more in common than he realizes... but he's about to find out.
Relationships: Loki/Nebula (Marvel)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16
Collections: Marvellous Aces Holiday Bingo 2020





	No other shade of blue but you

**Author's Note:**

> Title courtesy of Taylor Swift's lockdown cure "Folklore", specifically from "hoax".  
> Marvellous Aces Holiday Bingo 2020: squares A2, B3, C2.

Loki’s tired. There’s a weird tingling in his arm and the new woman (person... robot... whatever it is, besides cruel) torturing him is odd. She... they... can be terrible. They’re scarily skilful and know everything about pain and how to inflict it. At the same time, their presence feels almost comforting and the tingling in his arm is nice, and sometimes their hand goes to their own wrist, the one always covered by the uniform, and their face changes.

They are always strangely kind to. They will whip Loki bloody but they never leave Loki without a drink of water. It’s a small comfort Loki has come to recognize. They are the ones who are made to stand next to Loki to ensure he doesn’t fail to conquer Midgard.

He still does it.

He is afraid, at first. He thinks it will be harder, with her around. He learnt that - she’s not a girl, but she goes by she. She’s just Nebula.

Nebula...

Loki does understand that at least. He’s not a boy but he’s a he too. He’s just Loki.

At first, he thinks it’s going to be hard. To be around her and try to sabotage their efforts. It’s not... Loki is _sure_ she sees. But she seems to turn a blind eye to the failsafe he makes sure Selvig puts in the machine. She doesn’t go through the heart when she stabs Coulson.

She’s the enemy and eventually, he realizes... she’s not.

He laughs through the pain, laying in the concrete, as he feels, with the weight lifted over his mind, that the portal closed. Nebula is holding the scepter, with two fingers, turned away from it as if it was slimy and disgusting. (Loki held it, and he agrees.)

When the Avengers enter, she puts herself between Loki and them.

„My name is Nebula, and I’m going to help you defeat Thanos.”

„And what’s the catch, blue meanie?” It’s the man in the iron mask speaking. Loki finds himself rather liking him, after the altercation over drinks.

„You’ll allow me to behead him personally.”

Loki shudders and thinks that he rather likes Nebula too.

***

He’s in a living room on the floor he was given to share with Thor because Thanos’ ships totalled half the building and they need to bunk up. Even the man in the metal mask is sleeping with the green monster, and he’s the owner of the building, although Loki suspects that may be the sexual tension between them more than rooming arrangements. Nebula got a room for herself because of that. The assassins sleep together. The Captain apparently doesn’t know sleep, only debriefings (although Loki thinks he may not actually be at SHIELD, and rather at the hospital with the bold agent who got stabbed).

Thor snores. So Loki’s on the couch, with a tub of ice cream, a blanket that feels stifling hot but comforting at once and thinking about stuff he shouldn’t be thinking about. That’s when he hears footsteps, too light to be Thor’s.

He lifts his eyes only when Nebula sat next to him on the couch. He notices she already has a spoon and hands her to ice cream tub with a resigned sigh.

„You’re Jotunn.”

She doesn’t beat around the bush, and Loki freezes. He thinks about who knows and there is no way Thanos did and Thor wouldn’t...

„Relax.” She gives him the ice cream back. „No one told me. Can’t you see _I’m_ blue too?”

„You’re Jotunn too.”

It’s a statement, realization rather than a question. She nods nonetheless.

„The question is, how much do you know about Jotnar.”

He purses his lips, knowing his silence speaks volumes.

„I was taken by Thanos when I was a child. I didn’t know anything either. But then I learned what I am. What’s left of me, between the parts Thanos has taken. I learned all about our home.”

„It’s not my home.”

It’s reflex, and the words lack their usual bite.

„Suit yourself. So do you want to know why your hand is tingling?”

He takes a sharp breath. Nods.

„Go on, turn blue.”

He looks at her for the longest time, hates her, doesn’t want to listen to her, trusts her, sees himself in her. Eventually, he closes his eyes and turns. He feels her takes his hand, the tingling one.

„Soulmarks.”

When he opens his eyes and looks, he sees to identical sets of runes in a language he doesn’t understand rigged deep into their arms in the same lines that cover their whole bodies.

„Only Jotnar have them. They signify two people who are suitable to support themselves their entire lives. Compatible. Romantic, platonic, warriors, friends.”

„And we are ones.” Loki finally answers. „We’re soulmates.”

She doesn’t say anything more. Just steals his ice cream, and leaves, and Loki’s wrist keeps tingling but now he has an urge to scratch it.


End file.
